Overview

Both Rose and Ben visit the Ahnighito meteorite at the American Museum of Natural History. Learn more about meteorites with this research project.

What it teaches: Astronomy, research

What you need: Chart paper, astronomy books, slips of paper, small rocks, posterboard

What to do:

In Wonderstruck, both Ben and Rose discover the meteorite Ahnighito. Reread the plaque that describes the meteorite on pages 340–341. Ask children what else they know about meteorites. Where do they come from? What are they made of? List students’ ideas on chart paper.

Divide the class into small groups. Invite each group to research a famous meteorite, such as the Willamette meteorite, the Hoba meteorite, the Cape York meteorite, and the Ahnighito meteorite. Help groups find information about their meteorites using the Internet and the school library.

Have each group member record one interesting fact about its meteorite on a slip of paper, such as the meteorite’s size, where it was found, and where it is today. Attach the slips of paper to small rocks from outside. Each group should glue its rocks to a posterboard with the heading “Messages From Willamette” (or Cape York, etc.)

Ask each group to share their work with the class. Revisit the list you made earlier about meteorites, adding any new information to the chart.